In the drilling and completion industry, the formation of boreholes for the purpose of production or injection of fluid is common. The boreholes are used for exploration or extraction of natural resources such as hydrocarbons, oil, gas, water, and alternatively for CO2 sequestration.
Tubular members having a sealing element such as a packer have been used to seal the annulus of cased wells. In one operation, after the well is drilled into the earth formation, a casing is run-in the open-hole formation, and a tubular member having a packer is run-in the cased well. The packer is designed to divide the well by sealing against the inner wall of the casing, thereby isolating a lower portion of the annulus from an upper portion of the annulus.
Expandable seals have been used for years in the oil industry with great success. These seals have been pushing the limit of oil producing capabilities as well pressures and temperatures are becoming more challenging. As these limits become more difficult to reach, new options must become available to push the envelope further. One type of seal uses a resilient member with an inner radial metal backing, and relative movement of the seal with respect to an inner cone results in radial expansion of the seal. Rubber pressure that forms as expandable seals are set has proven to be an obstacle that has limited the pressure capabilities due to a possibility of fracturing the metal backing of the sealing element as additional setting or boosting loads are applied to the seal.
The art would be receptive to improvements in expandable seals and methods of sealing in a downhole operation.